Insulin use tips
Before each use, take a moment to inspect the insulin prior to drawing it into the syringe; clear insulins should appear not discolored and clear; suspended insulins should be uniform in their cloudinessRxEd.org-Insulin Therapy-Stability & StorageKeeping an Eye on Your Insulin-Diabetes Health-2001. If you made a mistake and forgot to put the insulin back into the refrigerator, even for several hours, there should be no problem. Many keep their insulin (see instructions for your brand) at room temperature all the timeFAQs.org-Travelling With Insulin. When comparing it to insulin which is in the fridge except when used, it may be more likely to have slight potency loss. If the insulin was exposed to heat or direct light for a while when it was out of the refrigerator, or shaken vigorously or dropped a long way, the best thing to do would be to start with a new vial Tips on Caring for Diabetic Pets-Diabetic-help.com. According to Diabetes Health, the best place to keep insulin in your fridge is in the door of it-"Why? Because items stored in the main portion of a refrigerator may get pushed to the back, where there is a possibility of frost or even freezing. Storing the vials in the door will ensure that does not happen."Keeping an Eye on Your Insulin-Diabetes Health-2001 Injecting cold from the refrigerator insulinInjecting Cold Insulin-Diabetes Journals can sting, regardless of what species, type or brandKeeping an Eye on Your Insulin-Diabetes Health-2002. Bringing the insulin to room temperature by removing it from the fridge before actually using it can help avoid painful injections. Warming the capped insulin syringe with your hands can have the same effect. Some people tuck the capped and filled syringe under their arm for a few minutes to warm it before use. Injection tips Do NOT wipe the needle with alcohol as it removes the protective coating which makes injection easier and less painfulPetDiabetes.org-Tips for Comfortable Injections. Injecting any insulin at the same site repeatedly over time can cause a lipodystrophy: either lipoatrophyLipoatrophy can Happen With Any Subcutaneous Insulin-Endocrine Abstracts-2006 or lipohypertrophy. Either makes absorption unreliable. But varying the injection site can cause variability in action profile, too. This page illustratesCommon Human Insulin Injection Areas & Their Absorption Rates illustrates the most common areas humans with diabetes inject insulin and explains how absorption differs in various areas of the human body. This is true for ALL insulins. The new shot area needn't be very far from where the last shot was given--the distance of the width of 2 fingers will do fine as a measureJoslyn Diabetes Center-Tips for Injecting Insulin. Most of us dealing with pet diabetes vary the side we give the injections in--right side mornings and left side evenings, for example. This is another help in avoiding giving shots in the same areasBD Diabetes-FAQ's About Diabetic Dogs-Dr. Greco. Many people give insulin shots in the scruff of the pet's neck, which is now considered to be a less than optimum choice. The neck area provides poor insulin absorption, due to it not having many capillaries, veins. etc. (vascularization). Other sites suggested by Dr. Greco include the flank and armpitBetter Medicine E-Newsletter-June 2006. Intervet recommends giving injections from just back of the shoulder blades to just in front of the hipbone on either side, from 1 to 2 inches from the middle of the backVetsulin-Preparing Insulin & Giving Injection-Page 2. Rubbing the site where you gave the shot increases insulin absorption. This means that the insulin is used faster than normal (no rubbing of the site) and might lead to a hypo. Rubbing the site increases blood flow to the area and this in turn speeds up absorptionInsulin in the Hospital Setting, Ira B. Hirsch, U of Washington Medical Center-Page 8Insulin Dependent Diabetes in Children, Adolescents and Adults-Dr. Ragnar Hanas-Page 11-Factors Influencing the Insulin Effect. *'To eliminate bubbles': If drawing insulin from a vial, set the syringe plunger to the dosage you want to draw, put the needle into the top of the vial while the vial is still upright, and push all the air out of the syringe. This will maintain air pressure equilibrium in the vial once you draw the dose and, because the vial is upright, will not cause air bubbles to mix with the solution. Turn the vial upside down and draw the insulin slowly. See note. :*If you do get air bubbles into the syringe, it's ok with most insulins to re-inject the insulin into the vial and draw again until the air is goneInjecting Insulin-Transcript of American Diabetes Association Videotape-2003. Check that this is ok with your insulin. See also injecting insulin. Slower draw is less likely to draw bubbles. :*Another way to get rid of syringe air bubbles is to hold the syringe upright and give it a tap or two with your fingerHow to Get Air Bubbles Out of Vetsulin (or any insulin)-eHow. The problem with having air bubbles in the injection is that you will not be getting the full dose of insulin; the bubbles take the place of it American Diabetes Association 2002 Position Statement-Insulin Administration. :*Some people prefer to gently jiggle their vials to make any air bubbles rise to the top, away from where the needle will draw. *If you should bend a needle while drawing insulin, discard the syringe and start again; don't try to straighten it outInjecting Insulin-Transcript of American Diabetes Association Videotape. Inserting the needle all the way into the vial makes it less easy to bendWashington State University-Diabetes Mellitus. Injection problems There are sometimes leakage problems, when some insulin is lost when the needle is removed from the skinInsulin Leaking From Injection Site. Some possible reasons and "fixes" for this are holding the "pinch" or "squeeze" too long which you made to give the shot. The skin, now with insulin under it, is still being "squeezed" as it was before the insulin went under the skin. The "pinch" forces some of the insulin back out from the newly-created hole in the skin. Releasing the "squeeze" or "pinch" first, then counting to 10 before removing the needle from the skin may give the insulin time to penetrate the fat layer and prevent leakage. Short needles can also cause insulin leakage--switching to longer ones can also help. More information can be found on the following pages: injecting insulin, diluting insulin, Combining insulin, Insulin, Syringe, Insulin pen. References Category:Tips Category:Introduction Category:Insulins Category:Treatments Category:Content